1. Field
The disclosure relates generally to data processing systems, and more specifically, to managing product presentations using a model of the retail environment and video analytics.
2. Description of the Related Art
Retailers use models to represent physical layouts and product placements in a store. Such models may map pathways, counters, shelves, displays, and sales transaction devices. The models may further identify customer routes through the pathways, counters, shelves, displays, and sales transaction devices. Actual purchases by customers at the sales transaction devices may be correlated to the customer routes. Such models are one of an array of tools that the retailers may use to analyze customer behavior and to modify the physical layouts and product placements based on the purchases made by the customer at the registers.
One type of model used by retailers is a planogram. Definitions of planogram vary, but generally, the term “planogram” means a diagram of fixtures in a store layout showing where products are to be positioned and in some cases may also include identification of actual product and where each actual product is to be positioned in the fixtures. The goal of retailers in using the planogram is to modify presentation of the product by optimizing the relationships of the product to one or more of the pathways, counters, shelves, displays and sales transaction devices. Modifying product presentation using planograms may comprise trial and error practices, as well as computer modeling programs. Such modeling requires data capture related to customer behavior while the customer is in the store.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus, which takes into account one or more of the issues discussed above, as well as possibly other issues.